The Crossing
Artist: Big Country
Community Score: 8.17

With producer Steve Lillywhite at the helm, Scotland's Big Country managed to deliver earnest, socially conscious arena anthems in a similar vein to U2 and the Alarm. The twist was their trademark bagpipe sound, achieved through the use of E-Bow. The unique sound of "In a Big Country" garnered the band considerable attention and a Top 20 single... Read More

Singles 45's and Under
Artist: Squeeze
Community Score: 8.00

Above all, Squeeze were a great singles act -- among the finest of the era -- and Singles 45's and Under offers proof of that fact, giving a chronological survey of their biggest hits from their early, pre-breakup period. Most of the songs can be found on the actual albums, aside from the slightly different single version of "Goodbye Girl" and... Read More

Retrospective
Artist: Sniff 'n' the Tears
Creatures of Leisure
Artist: Mental as Anything
Community Score: 10.00

Following up their biggest album yet, the Mentals rose to the occasion on this, their fourth full-length release. Though it may seem to be the little brother to 1981's Cats and Dogs, Creatures of Leisure is actually an even better album than it's predecessor. With producers Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop again spinning the knobs, the Mentals... Read More

Pelican West
Artist: Haircut 100
Community Score: 9.33

Haircut 100's debut album Pelican West is a widely uneven concoction of lite-funk and jazzy new wave pop. Although the group's music was frequently so light it virtually disappeared, they did record a pair of classic new wave singles with the effervescent "Love Plus One" and "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)." Although much of the record lacks... Read More

English Settlement
Artist: XTC
Community Score: 7.96

Andy Partridge's discovery of the 12-string guitar set the tone for English Settlement, an album which moved away from the pop gloss of Black Sea in favor of lighter, though still rhythmically heavy, acoustic numbers with more complex and intricate instrumentation. There are plenty of pop gems --"Senses Working Overtime" stands as one of their... Read More

East Side Story
Artist: Squeeze
Community Score: 8.00

East Side Story was originally planned as a double album with each side produced by a different "hot" producer -- Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and Paul McCartney were the proposed lineup. And while only Elvis Costello (along with Roger Bechirian) ended up doing the job, save for one track by Edmunds, Costello's push for decidedly... Read More

Argybargy - BONUS TRACKS
Artist: Squeeze

Where Cool for Cats marked a great leap over the debut, Argybargy improved at least that far over its own predecessor. Still a distinctly British band, Squeeze compensated with an incredibly catchy batch of songs that, despite the subject matter, spoke the universal language of bright, bouncy, instantly endearing pop. The acute observations of... Read More

Zenyatta Mondatta
Artist: The Police
Community Score: 8.00

The stage was set for the Police to become one of the biggest acts of the '80s, and the band delivered with the 1980 classic Zenyatta Mondatta. The album proved to be the trio's second straight number one album in the U.K., while peaking at number three in the U.S. Arguably the best Police album, Zenyatta contains perhaps the quintessential new... Read More

Another Grey Area
Artist: Graham Parker
Community Score: 7.00

Parker begins to make his peace with human imperfection (though he can still be sharp-tongued) and starts to look for love ("It's All Worth Nothing Alone"), backed by a smooth session band and a clean Jack Douglas production, which cool his usual fire without putting it out. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide Read More

Rhythm of Youth
Artist: Men Without Hats

Men Without Hats' debut album Rhythm of Youth was a set of catchy, appealing synth-pop. Although the material on the album was wildly inconsistent, the group's energy was infectious, making up for the weaker songs. And when the band managed to write a solid melody -- such as the hit single "The Safety Dance" -- the results were quite memorable.... Read More

Cargo
Artist: Men at Work
Community Score: 9.50

Cargo was bashed out fairly quickly, but its release was delayed because of the success of Men at Work's debut, Business as Usual. Though it was recorded on the road, Cargo is considerably more diverse -- but not necessarily more ambitious -- than its predecessor. Again, the album is anchored by two extraordinary singles. Fortunately, the... Read More

Business as Usual
Artist: Men at Work
Community Score: 7.50

Business as Usual became a surprise international hit on the basis of "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under," two excellent singles that merged straight-ahead pop/rock hooks with a quirky new wave production and an offbeat sense of humor. Colin Hay's keening vocals uncannily recall Sting, and the band's rhythmic pulse and phased guitars also... Read More

High Times
Artist: Graham Parker & the Rumour